A constraint-based scheduler for batch manufacturing

Abstract

Batch manufacturing poses unique challenges to schedulers. The manufacturing processes are unpredictable, the environment is dynamic, and the required task and resource models are complicated. The Honeywell batch scheduler uses constraint envelope scheduling to address these needs, offering support for both schedule modifications and rescheduling. The authors are reimplementing the scheduler as production quality software. They describe the process of building the scheduler and lessons learned during this process.